Fifteen months ago, with Lower Manhattan engulfed in ashes, the idea of building a Jewish community center here might have seemed like a bizarre joke.
Jewish parenting classes, arts programming (maybe even a swimming pool) within blocks of the most horrific scene of Islamic fundamentalist-inspired destruction?
But, ironically, momentum is now building for a Jewish center below Canal Street: and it is because of, rather than in spite of, the Sept. 11 attacks.

Walking into the high-ceilinged space overlooking Ground Zero, you’re not sure if you’ve entered an apartment or an art gallery. Every surface gleams white; the furniture is black, white and ultra-modern; original contemporary art is on the walls and the lighting fixtures could double as sculpture.